Check-row corn-planter.



J. L. MILLER.

CHECK Row CORN PLANTER.

APPLoATIoN FILED DB0. 4. 1905.

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Inventor l by l ff,

` @III/W .y Attorneys PATENTLD FEB. 13, 1906.

No. 812,666. v J. L. MILLER.

CHECK ROW CORN PLANTER.. APPLICATION FILED DB0. 4, 1905.

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ZJ E 21' Witnesses lnventr L 7 g. Attorneys,

JOHN LEE MILLER, OF WOOD RIVER, NEBRASKA.

CHECK-ROW CORN-PLANTER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed December 4, 1905. Serial No. 290.267.

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LEE MILLER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Wood River, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska,have invented a new and useful Check-R ow Corn-Planter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to check-row cornplanters and the objects of theinvention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation ofthis class of machines and to insure perfect regularity in the processof planting, so that the seed shall be deposited in hills located atequal distances apart throughout the field without regard to suchinequalities as may exist in the surface of the land.

With these and other ends in View, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations, and modifications within the scope of theinvention maybe made when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of acheck-row corn-planter constructed in accordance with the principles ofthe invention. view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken in front of the axle and looking in a rearwarddirection, and Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

In the construction of this improved cornplanter there is employed amain or wheel frame A, in the construction of which are included sidemembers 1 1 and a rear bar 2, serving to space and connect the sidemembers. The latter are connected securely with the side members 3 of anarched axle B, which is constructed in the usual manner with spindles 4,upon which the transporting-wheels 5 are supported for rotation.

In connection `with the outer frame A there is used an inner frame C,comprising side members 6 6, spaced and connected by a rear cross-bar 7.This inner frame supports near Fig. 2 is a top plan.

its front end a cross-bar 8, which is extended beyond the side membersof the outer frame and which carries the seedboxes or hoppers 9 and therunners or furrow-openers 10. The hoppers receive the ends of atransverse shaft 11, that serves to actuate the seed-dropping mechanism,which may be of any desired construction and which has not beenillustrated, as it forms no part of the present invention.

Upon the side members of the outer frame are supported uprights 12, theupper ends of which are curved forwardly to constitute segment-racks 13,the upper terminals of which are connected with the arched portion ofthe axle-beam adjacent to the side members 3 of the latter. Said sidemembers are provided with studs 14, upon which are pivoted handlevers15, having spring-actuated stop members 16, engaging the segment-racks.Connected with the levers 15 are link-rods 17, which extend throughplates 18, connected with the side members 6 of the inner frame by meansof upright bolt members 19, securely connected with the side members 6of the inner frame and serving as guides for the vertically-slidingplates 20, which are fixed upon the lower ends of the link-rods 17.Springs 21 are coiled upon said link-rods between the plates 18 and 20,said springs serving to resiliently support the weight of the rearportion of the frame O.

The frame C is provided with boxes 22, supporting a transverse axle orshaft 23, carrying a ground-engaging wheel 24, which is provided withequidistantly-disposed markers 25. The latter are embedded in the rim ofthe wheel 24, and said markers, as well as the rim of the wheel, aremade concave and engaged by a scraper 26, supported upon the rearcross-bar 7 of the frame C for the purpose of keeping the periphery ofthe wheel, as Well as the marking devices, free from adhering dirt. Thisis extremely important, for the reason that it is the periphery of theground-engaging wheel 24 which determines the distance between thehills, and any substance adhering to the periphery of said wheel wouldcause an undesirable deviation. The Wheel 24 is fixed upon the axle 23,which latter rotates in the boxes 22. The shaft 23 carries asprocket-wheel 27, which is connected by a link belt 28 with asprocket-wheel or idler 29, supported for rotation bya shaft 30, nearthe front end of the frame O. The upper lead of the link belt 28 engagesa disk 31, mounted upon the operating-shaft 11 said IOO IIO

' disk being provided with a plurality of pairs of radially-extendingarmsBZ, thatl are adaptr ed to be yintermittently engaged by tappets 33,connectedat intervals with the links of. the chain or belt 2S. Thetappet-carrying links may be variously spaced in the chain or link beltaccording to the frequency, with which it is desired to actuatetheoperating'- shaft, it being understood that at each operation ot thelatter the seed-dropping mechanismwillsbe actuatedr The side members 1e1a of thai-ramena areV provided with forwardly-extending brackets35,.aifordingbearings-.for the shaft 111.,.which extends intothehoppersA and:` operates theseededropping mechanism.. 'Ehe cross-bar; 8,

which. connects theiront ends of. the. side:

membersv ot the frame. C, is. provided with upwardly-extending brackets36: that are pivotedv uponi the shaft L1, which. latter thus serves toform a. hinge connectionv between the frames Ai andi Cs The tongue or.draft bar 37X is secured upon' the. crossfbar` 8V and upon.y a: cross-bari38, which connectsthe-front endsiof, the runners. Said tongue isextend ed rearwardly andis. connected by means of a link 39 with an arm,403 extending, from a rock-shaiit 41', which-.issupported earings upon`the side members of the. frame. A,.`said' rock-shait being provided witha. hand-lever 42', whereby it may bel operated. The lever 42. has astopf member 43, adapted toengage a rack-segment 44, whereby said leverand its related parts'l mayV be secured at various ad.- justments.

By'manipuliating the. lever' 42. it will be readily seen that the frontend ot they trame C, with the runners carried by said trame., may beraised orlowered, as may be desired, the front end of the tongue beinsupported by the. team to form a ulcrum. -t the same time the rear endof the trame C,carrying the operating-wheelI 24, is capable: ofindependent adjustment by the means provided for the purpose, ashereinbefore described.

As will be seen Jfrom the foregoing description, the construction ofthisiniproved cornplanter is very simple. rlhe planting mechan ism maybe thrown out of' operation by simply elevating the rear end of theJframe C by the means herein described until the Wheel 24 is supportedbeyond the possibility of contacting with the ground. The markingmembers 25 uponk the wheel 24 are disposed so as tov make indentationsin the ground in alinement with the hills Where the seeds are dropped,and it is obvious that said marking members by forming such indentationswill enable the driver or operator to satisfy himself at any timethatthe machine is operating in perfect alinement.. l

Having thus described' the invention, what `isvclaimed is- 1. A mainframe having an arched axle and transporting-wheels upon the latter,uprights supported upon the side members of the frame and? havingrack-segments connected with the axle7 levers pivoted upon the side'members of the axle-archand having s-top= members engaging the racksegments an auxiliary trame-having an. earthfengagingop.-

@rating-wheel, andi, means including-zlinks.con.-4

necting said auxiliary frame withy the levers.

2;v In. a; cornfplanter, a main-wheel frame having an arched axle, anauxiliar trame,

an axle supportedforirotation ini t e auxiliary frame and havingl agroundeengaging op;- eraiting-wheelf,. uprights supported. in the'sidemembers oli the mainframe and: havingVterminalsegmentyracks-connectedwiththe'axlearch, leversy pivoted uponthe sid-'a members of'theflatterand having stopI members engag ing theracks, links. pivoted upon the levers` y and having plates at theirtreeY ends, springs coiled upon said levers and supported upon saidplates, and means: connected with. the

side members ofthe auxiliary trame and. sup-V ported upon, said springs.

3i. In a corn-planter, a maini trame having supporting -wheels, anauxiliary trame, an axle journaled in the auxiliary frame and having aground-engaging wheeli, hoppers and runnerssupportedattheront'end oftheauxilf iary'frame, brackets connected with the main frame, anoperating-shaft journaledy in said; brackets and extended intoi thehoppers, brackets connected withl the auxiliary trame and havingbearings for the operating-shaft, a tongue connected with the auxiliarytrame, a rock-.shaft supported upon the` mainframe and having anoperating-lever and an arm, a link connectingfsaid arm with the rear endof the tonguemeans for securing the rock-shaft at various adjustments,vindependent meansV for effecting vertical adjustment of the rear: end ofthe` auxiliary frame including spring-r means for pressing the free endyof said frame in a downward direction, and meanszfor transmitting motionfrom the axle of the auxiliary frame to the operating-shaft.v

In'testiniony that I claim'l the foregoing as my own I have heretoaflixed myv signature in the presence of two witnesses..

JOHN LEE MILLER.

Witnesses:

JAMES WILLIAMS, DAISY B. INGRAHAM.

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